Thursday, September 14, 2017

The Left Bank | My Reflection on Portrait Impressions

Last week I posted about the upcoming exhibit at The Left Bank Shop & Gallery in McGregor, IA. So Friday, with my little one in tow, we headed over to see the exhibit. I love going to the special event openings to mingle with everyone, listen to the live music, and enjoy the wonderful refreshments, but Emmajean had slightly different plans. We ended up going just before the official start time, before the crowd rolled in, but we still got to see all of the new artwork displayed. We even got to sneak a few photos of Portrait Impressions and a couple of photos of two of the people who make it all happen at The Left Bank!

Portrait Impressions | a group exhibit at the Left Bank Shop & Gallery

The artists definitely had their own unique takes for Portrait Impressions. When you go see this show you will see traditional portraiture, abstraction, conceptual portraits, animal portraits, and more! I really enjoyed all of the different interpretations of the theme for this exhibit. A sense of play and fun shine through the variety of artwork.

I even snapped my own "portrait impression" of the exhibit itself: featuring Sandy and Teri who both work with The Left Bank Shop & Gallery to bring these events to life. These folks are awesome and, along with the other board members, employees, and volunteers, are able to offer northeast Iowa a truly enchanting place to view and purchase local artwork.

Last minute adjustments!

This exhibit is seriously fun to view. I love the eclectic mix of styles, the vibrant colors, & the variety of media!

While everything at this special exhibit is awesome, the glass portraits by Barb McKinlay really caught my eye. Some hang on the wall, some are free standing and catch the light in different ways as you walk around the room. All are vibrant, moody and downright delightful.

Here are a few detail images of her glass portraits available now at the Left Bank:

This shows how the piece changes as the light shifts or you view the artwork from a different angle. I think what draws me to these is the use of color coupled with the way the piece is constantly changing from the light shining through. To me, this shift in the work plays on the idea that people aren't two dimensional. We are ever changing and reacting to the environment around us at any given moment. What a cool way to take a traditional "2D" portrait and bring it to life. Very cool work, Barb!

If you haven't already been to see this show, or you missed the opening, or you just need to get back for a second look, then you're in luck! This exhibit runs through October 30th.

Don't forget to check out the plethora of other interesting artwork throughout the rest of the retail gallery while you're there! Can you spot any of my new JWebb original paintings?

There is really something for everyone at The Left Bank!I can't wait to share what we found for Emmajean...check back soon!